


a world alone

by Anonymous



Category: The Boyz (Korea Band)
Genre: Friends to Lovers, Kissing, M/M, juyeon chanhee changmin mentioned too but this is.. extremely sunhwall centric, wow this is bare bones
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-08
Updated: 2019-04-08
Packaged: 2020-01-07 01:50:55
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,593
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18400721
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/
Summary: "We'll always be best friends, right?" Hyunjoon murmurs, eyelids almost threatening to close.Sunwoo pulls away from Hyunjoon's shoulder to stare at him, a little bit incredulously, "you're never getting rid of me.""Good." And then Hyunjoon kisses him.





	a world alone

_**186 days until graduation.** _

"Sunwoo-yah!!"

Sunwoo could only muster a lethargic groan in response to Hyunjoon shouting over the phone. His bleary eyes glimpse over towards his clock, the red digital numbers reading 03:43. Pounding music blasts down from the other end of the line, and it gradually dawns on Sunwoo that Hyunjoon was at a party tonight, without him. It's not that he wasn't invited, because he was, but large parties are never Sunwoo's idea of fun. But he also doesn't like being alone. 

"Sunwoo, oh my god, Sunwoo, I'm having so much fun, but, I'm just, I've been a bit sick, shit, sorry, and the party is really really good, but it's not as fun without you- Hey Changmin!" The racket becomes muffled as Hyunjoon shifts his attention to someone else. Sunwoo is more awake now, hand carding through his brown hair as he sits up. Putting Hyunjoon on speakerphone, he shuffles out of bed, following the accustomed routine that he and Hyunjoon have. 

Hyunjoon will always call around this time, excited and drunken inflection enveloping his voice as he indirectly prompts Sunwoo to come and pick him up. 

Sunwoo stays in his pyjama shorts and slips on an old school gym hoodie, tattered at the sleeves and smelling familiar. The music in the background becomes fainter and Sunwoo knows that Hyunjoon has somehow made it out of the throngs of people that loiter around the door. There's the crunch of gravel, a soft little _ooft_ , and Hyunjoon's voice again.

"Oh, Kim Sunwoo. I've had such a good time tonight! Met so many lovely people and talked to so many more!" _Hiccup._ "What time is it?"

Sunwoo softly beams at the dopey manner of his best friend, who at this point is unquestionably too drunk to phone for a taxi and get home safely, "It's almost four."

"Fuck, really? I'm sorry for phoning, I thought it was only one," Hyunjoon fretted. 

"It’s fine babe, I'm on my way over. Are you at Juyeon's?" 

Drumming his fingers on the steering wheel to the familiar tunes of the only CD his old car can play, Sunwoo idles at a red light and reflects. 

The inky blue-black of night had begun to splinter, streaks of lighter shades peaking through silver-lined clouds. The night-shift makes its way home and it won't be long before the city starts to wake. 

As the light turns green he spots a 24-hour takeaway and hastily parks. Hyunjoon always gets ridiculously hungry when he's drunk. 

The smell of the food tempts him, ordering far too much for just the two of them. He picks up a bottle of water and a bottle of wine for the two of them to share when they get home. 

Hyunjoon is waiting at the curb of Juyeon's street, his usually pale cheeks turned a dusty pink due to the alcohol. He stumbles as he stands. Sunwoo is so fond. 

Sunwoo reaches over and opens the door for Hyunjoon, who throws himself into the seat and into a crushing hug. His smile is wide as he fumbles with his seatbelt, not giving Sunwoo any time as he fires straight into tales of the night, mixing names and places and conversations. Somehow Sunwoo can always make sense of it anyway. 

He pulls away from the curb, efficient three-point turns and corners and nimble gear changes. Hyunjoon can't drive, and he's always fascinated at how easy Sunwoo makes it look. He tells a story about how a boy wanted to kiss him but he “hid in the bath with Changmin and Chanhee for like an hour” and they ”took so many pictures”, detailing that he was pretty sure the hyungs were drunkenly flirting.

Sleepily smiling, Sunwoo solely listens and laughs to Hyunjoon's loud larking, attempting to remember every detail so he can use them to tease the other with when they wake up in the mid-afternoon. 

It's pushing five am, and the sun is unwaveringly rising. The abstract mix of oranges, purples, pinks, and blues is a sight Hyunjoon will never get tired of, especially with his best friend at his side, the adrenaline of the social interactions wearing off. 

"I'm so happy with life, Sunwoo. I realised it when I was sitting on the curb. I have everything I could ever need right now, and you're always going to be here with me. You're so cool, and you always take care of me. I really do love you.” He pauses for breath. “Can I put the window down?" 

The other boy nods and stealthily wipes away the mist that had sprung to his eyes. Hyunjoon sticks his head out the window, watches the city glittering from the motorway, observing the ins-and-outs of their hometown as if it's only simple clockwork. His smile widens, unable to control his happiness as his eyes turn into half moon crescents. He giggles, 

"I never want to grow up. I want to stay eighteen forever."

Arriving at Sunwoo's house not ten minutes later, Hyunjoon stumbles out of the car and links arms with Sunwoo as they zig-zag their way up the garden path, hushed snickers and intermittent shushes in their wake. Hyunjoon unlocks the door and carries the takeaway through to the kitchen while Sunwoo makes sure his parents are still asleep. He peeks in to see them both inundated beneath the sheets and lets out a silent sigh of relief. 

Hyunjoon plates their food, vaguely resembling a mountain of pakora, rice, and garlic naan. They sit at the dining room table, sharing the wine between them and humorously feeding each other great portions of food that takes a few minutes to chew. Eye contact in particular lights prompts them to burst into choked hysterical wheezes and Hyunjoon's light swaying has a comforting rhythm to it. 

Sunwoo's room is disordered, but Hyunjoon somehow bypasses the heaps of clothes and dishes and college work and reaches the dresser, fidgeting with the buttons on his shirt until conceding defeat, pouting at Sunwoo until the other clumsily fiddles with them, hands subtly shaking as he undoes them. He blushes as Hyunjoon promptly changes into the spare pyjamas he keeps at Sunwoo’s house, wriggling into bed and pulling on Sunwoo’s hand. 

They loll in bed together, legs intertwined and fingers combing through hair. It’s hot and sticky, and Hyunjoon carries the faint smell of alcohol, but Sunwoo doesn’t mind. He’s always comfortable next to Hyunjoon. 

Sunlight trickles through the thin curtains and illuminates their features, unfocused eyes glinting. 

"We'll always be best friends, right?" Hyunjoon murmurs, eyelids almost threatening to close. 

Sunwoo pulls away from Hyunjoon's shoulder to stare at him, a little bit incredulously, "you're never getting rid of me." 

"Good." And then Hyunjoon kisses him.

————————————————

__  
**185 days until graduation.**  


Sunwoo wakes up, bringing himself to consciousness before opening his eyes. The light probing through his eyelids was already too harsh on his senses, making him hiss when he opens them fully. 

He slowly pulls his phone out from under his pillow, unlocking it and reading the time. 2:37pm. He let out a deep sigh before placing his phone back onto the bed and turning onto his side, away from the light. 

Sunwoo almost jumps when he sees another body sleeping soundly next to him, wearing a baby blue pyjama shirt, chest slowly rising and falling as he breathes softly. 

The younger boy smiles fondly, his attention focused on the way the midday sunlight dances on Hyunjoon’s pale skin. It wasn’t the first time Sunwoo had woken up like this, Hyunjoon sleeping by his side, but something felt different this time. He couldn’t put his finger on it. 

It wasn’t until Hyunjoon’s lips twitched and he rolled over onto his tummy that Sunwoo remembered exactly what happened the night before, the post-sleep haze clearing from his memory. 

He remembered picking Hyunjoon up, driving him to his place and letting him collapse in his small bed. That much was obvious. But the memory of Hyunjoon’s lips on his, subtle taste of alcohol and cherry lip balm, lingers on his mind. He hates how the memory makes his heart skip the tiniest beat. He curses under his breath. 

Sunwoo crawled out of bed, making sure the shifting weight on the mattress wouldn’t wake Hyunjoon from his sleep. He deserved a long rest, judging by the way he was stumbling around the night before. 

He pulls a hoodie over his head and makes his way downstairs, planning on making himself some breakfast and grabbing them both a glass of water. He’d taken care of hungover Hyunjoon plenty of times, and it had only slightly gotten easier over time. 

Sunwoo was slightly startled by the sound of feet softly padding down the stairs next to the kitchen as he placed bread in the toaster. He drew his eyes upwards and was met with Hyunjoon, stood in the doorway, and Sunwoo just about melts. 

Hyunjoon’s hair is messy, sticking up from his head in pretty much every direction, showing a clear struggle to pull himself from sleep. His sleepy eyes lay heavy but his smile is still bright, as if his brain wasn’t pounding inside of his skull. 

“Good morning, Joonie,” Sunwoo croaks, voice scratchy as he hadn’t used it yet that morning. “Good morning, Sunwoo,” Hyunjoon replied, taking one more step into the kitchen. 

“I want you to kiss me.”

Sunwoos heart almost jumps out of his chest. He feels like he has to pinch himself to wake up. He just looks at Hyunjoon, examining the mischievous glint in the older’s eyes. He could tell he remembered too. 

With incredible comedic timing, the two slices of toast jump out of the toaster with an alarming noise, making Sunwoo jump embarrassingly high. Hyunjoon couldn’t hold in his laughter, giggles erupting from him as Sunwoo stands frustrated in the middle of the tiled floor. 

“Heo Hyunjoon. Stop laughing at me or I will never kiss you,” Sunwoo almost deadpanned, unable to stop a small smile forming on his face. Hyunjoon surprisingly stopped laughing immediately, composing himself and returning to looking at Sunwoo hopefully. 

“Why do you want to kiss me anyways?” Sunwoo asked. He knew the reason, but he wanted to hear Hyunjoon say it too. It didn’t feel grounded enough for him to believe. 

Hyunjoon took yet another step into the kitchen, offering his hand for Sunwoo to take. He does, cautiously, and Hyunjoon pulls him closer. 

“I want to make sure it wasn’t just a dream.” Hyunjoon stuttered, suddenly nervous. It wasn’t as easy to do these things sober as when he was intoxicated. 

Sunwoo steps closer this time, only a couple of centimeters away from Hyunjoon’s face. He let his eyes close and his vulnerability lay open. Hyunjoon leaned in and pressed his lips to the younger’s. 1, 2, 3, and then he pulled away. 

As Sunwoo reopened his eyes he saw Hyunjoon’s smile, bold and bright, as always. He wanted nothing more than to kiss it away. 

So he did. 

He leaned in this time, taking the lead as he pressed his lips to Hyunjoon’s, letting his hand make its way to the other’s boy nape. He told himself he didn’t have to be scared anymore. It’s just Hyunjoon. 

Sunwoo fell deeper.

————————————————

__  
**82 days until graduation.**  


Hyunjoon’s steps reverberate through the quiet street as he walks fast, holding a paper bag closely to his chest. He has his hoodie on and his bangs keep getting in his eyes; he makes a mental note to remember to ask Sunwoo to trim them.

The night is unusually dark despite the dim yellow lamp posts, and even if there is no one else in the street but a few stray cats, Hyunjoon hurries to reach his destination quickly.

He stops in front of Sunwoo’s house with all the lights off, and he opens the gate with his foot. He knows the door is open, so he manages to turn the door handle with his elbow and walks in.

Sunwoo is sitting in the dark living room with a laptop illuminating his face. His brow is furrowed, and his tongue keeps poking out of his mouth every now and then. Hyunjoon isn’t sure for how long he stays in the middle of the entrance staring at Sunwoo, but it feels like hours until Sunwoo notices him and finally lifts his gaze from the screen.

“Someone could come here to murder you and you wouldn’t notice.”

“That’s the plan,” Sunwoo closes the laptop and the room becomes completely dark. Still, Hyunjoon knows the place like the palm of his hand, and he walks over to where he knows there’s a table to leave the bag. Upon hearing the clinking of glass, Hyunjoon can feel Sunwoo walk over to him and he can’t help but smile.

In a second, after colliding with a misplaced sofa, Sunwoo is by Hyunjoon’s side. Now, in that new position closer to the window, the soft moonlight streaming through the blinds allows Hyunjoon to see the small smile on Sunwoo’s face.

“Happy eighteenth birthday,” Hyunjoon says quietly, not being able to look at anywhere but at Sunwoo while the younger boy eyes the bottles Hyunjoon brought with him. “I hope these are good enough.”

“I knew you wouldn’t be able to buy beer.”

“Hey, these fruity drinks have alcohol alright? It’s all that clerk was willing to sell me, and I still had to give him ten extra bucks.”

Sunwoo presses his lips to Hyunjoon’s cheek for a few seconds, taking his time.

“Thank you.”

They move the bottles to Sunwoo’s backpack and Sunwoo reminds Hyunjoon to grab a coat, pulling his big faux fur coat off of the rack. When they leave, Sunwoo doesn’t bother to lock the door, and Hyunjoon seriously wonders how nobody has robbed him yet.

The night is still quiet, save for both of their footsteps as they stroll down the street. Sunwoo has the backpack hanging off his shoulder and both hands in his jeans pockets, but Hyunjoon reaches out and grabs Sunwoo’s wrist to pull his hand out so he can hold it. Sunwoo lets him, of course; and brings their linked hands up to his face to leave a small kiss on Hyunjoon’s knuckles.

“You don’t feel like yourself today…” Hyunjoon comments quietly, kicking a pebble as they walk in the middle of the empty road.

“You know I don’t like birthdays.”

“But you’re always so cheerful for mine…”

“Because it’s about you; and you know I’m always happy when it comes to you.”

“There’s the cheese I like.”

“Don’t call me cheese…” Sunwoo is far too quiet for Hyunjoon’s liking, not to mention his gloom expression and the sighs he lets out every five minutes. But Hyunjoon understands, so he doesn’t push it. Simply opting to play with Sunwoo’s fingers and hope his sunny boyfriend will be back in the morning.

A small square comes into sight and they follow the path they’ve made so many times before. They sit on their usual bench; a dirty, old and slightly broken one that is perfectly hidden behind an even older tree. Hyunjoon sits cross-legged and takes his hood off, running a hand through his black hair. Sunwoo, who sits next to him with the bag on his lap, reaches out to ruffle his hair and move his bangs out of his eyes.

“I’m gonna need to trim that.”

Hyunjoon smiles; of course, Sunwoo doesn’t need to be asked.

The drinks are… peculiar, or so Sunwoo says. The fruity taste is rather artificial, but they bought it for the alcohol, not for the watermelon taste; and after emptying the first bottle the taste isn’t even that noticeable anymore.

“My tongue feels numb,” Sunwoo sticks his tongue out and giggles when Hyunjoon tries to lean in to kiss him. “Don’t be gross.”

“Oh, now you’re calling me gross? How about that time we-” Sunwoo kisses him and laughs against his lips, shaking his head slightly.

“Shut up.”

And he does, willingly so; because whether it is from the cheap alcohol or Hyunjoon’s kiss, Sunwoo is smiling genuinely again, eyes shining brightly in the way that made Hyunjoon fall in love in the first place.

“Happy birthday,” Hyunjoon’s smile is dreamy, and anyone within a hundred miles could see how his eyes shine for Sunwoo.

“You’ve said that already.”

“Yeah, but I wanted to say it again.”

They lean in at the same time and Sunwoo smiles because Hyunjoon’s lips taste faintly like watermelon; maybe it wasn’t such a scam after all. But the taste fades the longer they kiss and Hyunjoon checks by himself that Sunwoo’s tongue doesn’t really taste like watermelon but more like alcohol.

Hyunjoon pulls away with slightly flushed cheeks, and when he surges forward again Sunwoo moves his face with a loud giggle; Hyunjoon’s lips land on Sunwoo’s neck, right below his ear, and Sunwoo squirms before pushing Hyunjoon by his shoulders.

“Don’t tell me you’re drunk from this cheap drink,” Sunwoo teases Hyunjoon, grabbing his cheeks and pecking Hyunjoon’s puckered lips.

“I just wanted some smooches,” There’s the Hyunjoon he knows.

“You’ll get them later.”

Sunwoo opens another bottle, a banana one, and he gags disgusted after the first sip.

“Nope, no, this one won’t work.”

In between laughs, they finish more bottles (a blueberry one and a strawberry one, because Hyunjoon also tried the banana one despite Sunwoo’s warning and he was so offended he threw the bottle to a nearby trash can).

Sunwoo’s eyes are glossy, and his lips slightly are swollen because Hyunjoon liked the strawberry drink a bit too much and insisted on trying it from Sunwoo’s lips, giggling as Sunwoo feigned disgust. 

“Don’t you think we should head home?” Hyunjoon asks when he notices Sunwoo’s eyelids starting to drop.

“But it’s such a nice night…”

“We can lie down in your backyard instead,” Hyunjoon only needs to pout to convince Sunwoo, and soon they’re on their way back, hugging each other and laughing loudly when one of them trips.

They easily walk inside the house, and whereas Hyunjoon heads straight for the other’s room, Sunwoo goes to the kitchen for a glass of water. When he enters his room, he finds Hyunjoon with his head stuck in his hoodie as he tries to take it off. Sunwoo leaves the glass on the bedside table and helps Hyunjoon, tossing the fabric towards the designated messy corner of his bedroom. 

“I thought you wanted to be outside.”

“M’too tired,” Hyunjoon mumbles and takes off his jeans, making Sunwoo blush and turn around to remove his own hoodie and pants. Hyunjoon walks to Sunwoo’s closet and takes a pair of shorts without asking, as he usually does, but keeps his own shirt. When he turns around, Sunwoo is wearing baggy shorts but other than that he’s still only in his mismatched socks.

Hyunjoon plops down on the bed, shoulders slumped as he closes his eyes momentarily. Sunwoo sits with him and hands him the glass of water, making sure he drinks at least half of it.

Hyunjoon leaves for the bathroom, and when he comes back he finds Sunwoo with his back against the backrest of the bed, fiddling with the phone in his hands, contemplating something. Hyunjoon really should get better at reading his mind. 

“What’s up?” He asks quietly, hating how Sunwoo’s smile is gone again.

“I don’t want you to leave.”

Hyunjoon pauses, taking in Sunwoo’s blunt answer, and takes the phone out of Sunwoo’s hands.

“I’m never going to leave you, Sunu. You’re stuck with me, remember? We promised.”

“I know that, Hyunjoon-ah,” Sunwoo’s voice was quiet. He didn’t normally show his vulnerability like this. Hyunjoon let him talk. “But what happens when we graduate? You’re gonna go off to a fancy dance school, live your dreams. I won’t be able to cheer your name anymore.” 

Hyunjoon was also growing sad now, the alcohol in his blood making his emotions tip faster than usual. He never really liked thinking about the future anyways, the present always being much nicer. 

“I’m not going anywhere without you, Sunwoo. Remember what we used to say? We promised we’d be together forever? Find somewhere nice to live in the city, chase our dreams together, never have to worry about anything. We can still do that, yeah?” 

Hyunjoon’s drunk attempt to cheer his boyfriend up was about as much as he could muster, but Sunwoo still took his hand in his own, holding it to his chest and taking a deep breath. A tear rolled down his cheek. 

 

“Hey, hey,” Hyunjoon sits on Sunwoo’s lap, straddling him as Sunwoo places his hands on Hyunjoon’s legs. “I’m never leaving you. You have to believe me.”

With a kiss, Hyunjoon tries to make Sunwoo understand how much he really means his words. His arms loop around Sunwoo’s neck and Sunwoo hugs Hyunjoon’s waist, pulling him closer.

When a single tear runs down Sunwoo’s cheek, Hyunjoon wipes it away with his thumb and kisses the spot.

“I love you.”

Sunwoo sniffled. 

“I really love you, too.”

They move on the bed so that they can lie down, and their legs practically intertwine on their own. The bed is rather small, or maybe they’re too grown up now, but it gives them the perfect excuse to press against each other as closely as possible.

‘Happy birthday, Sunwoo-yah,” Hyunjoon whispered as Sunwoo’s eyes started to close. He held him like he was the only thing he had left.


End file.
